


What An Entrance

by TrinketPrince



Category: Be More Chill - Iconis/Tracz
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, M/M, and the characters may be ooc, but whatevs, my writing's shit, oh shit, take this trash from me, the last three songs in michael's favor
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-06-17
Updated: 2017-06-25
Packaged: 2018-11-15 05:49:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,813
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11224629
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TrinketPrince/pseuds/TrinketPrince
Summary: "You don't want to drink that Jeremy!" The Squip interrupted."Why not!" Jeremy screamed, clutching on to the bottle with his life depending on it. A smile curled upon the face of his Squip, "Because then you'll never be with—““—him.”The Squip snaps towards the left of the stage. A crowd that had formed dispersed, like zombies after eating a captured human, and who was left was—"Michael!?"





	1. Pants

The evening was nearing. The red of the sunset had already started bleeding out in favor for the night’s star speckled black sky. Michael was out in the backyard, joint in hand and clutter on his right. The crickets playing their symphonies in the grass around him, the fire flies surrounding the area as they do every night. The only sources of light in the area were the previously mentioned fireflies, Michael’s house and a makeshift fire in a drum.

“Magic the Gathering card he gave me for my birthday no one else remembered…”

Michael remembers that day; _He was at his party table in his backyard, wearing his party hat, smile wavering, waiting for his classmates he invited. After hours, it became clear that nobody was coming and his family started cleaning up the unused paper plates and taking down the décor. As Michael was about to head in, Jeremy ran into the previously party place all out of breath. “Jeremy!” Michael beamed, “I thought you were never gonna come!”_

_“Sorry, I tried to be here earlier. There was something I had to pick up first.” Jeremy panted out between breaths; before Michael could ask what he meant, Jeremy tossed him a small box. “Here.”_

_It was red and small with the green ribbon wrapped around made it look like Christmas,_ made him feel like it was Christmas. _He stared at it a little more before finally opening the box to find the card that he wanted ever since it was announced over the internet. It was a limited edition that came out in the 90’s, something that collectors would sell their soul for. It was perfect. Michael looked up at boy before him, his eyes closed, crinkling at the end, and smile reaching his ears. Something fluttered in Michael at the sight. He mirrored the expression, opened his mouth and –_

“Burn it.”

Michael threw the card into the fire, while something clawed at his chest as he did so. He picked up the next artifact he brought outside after deciding to erase anything related to Jeremy. “Ticket stub at our first concert.”

He remembers sitting at a lunch table in the corner with Jeremy. _It had been a tough day for the both of them. The shorter one focusing on his phone like it was the only thing of interest left in the world and Jeremy with his hands in the pockets of his cardigan. “Hey, I know you’re upset but I have just the thing to cheer you up!” Michael tore his attention away from his phone and removed his headphones with a face of defeat, staring at the happier of the two._

_“I doubt it’s gonna help my failing tests.” Michael slurred out._

_“Trust me on this! Check your pockets.”_

_Michael places his phone next to his neglected lunch and reaches into his pockets. He pulls out a scrap of paper and his eyes widen at the words printed on it, “Weird Al.” He looks up to see Jeremy holding up the same ticket with the same smile he gives Michael every day; the same smile that made everything a bit better; the same smile that he had fallen for. “Dude, this is gonna be super—“_

“—burn it.”

Michael watched the paper dance in the fire, the clawing monster replaced with emptiness in his heart. _One last thing to burn,_ he grabbed a small envelope on his right. It was a letter that he wrote in 7th grade on Valentine’s Day. It was a bit torn on the edges and the pixelated heart sticker he used to seal the envelope had started to fade.  _For my Player 1._

Michael could never forget that day, _the day his heart was at it's strongest only for it to break after. He finally caught Jeremy after school to confess. They were in an empty classroom, noises from the hallway filling up the silence that had been going on for a while. “I have something to tell you!” they both said in unison after what seemed like forever but was probably only a few minutes._

_“Uh, you go first.” Michael hoped Jeremy felt the same and was confessing first, ‘cause frankly? Despite making his mind up to confess, it was still embarrassing._

_“Oh, um, ok. So this is really important.” Jeremy said, with a hint of blush spread across his cheek. “So don’t freak out…”_

_This was good. This was in Michael's favor. His hands played with the letter behind him as he nodded, egging Jeremy on._

_“There’s this girl in biology and her name’s Christine and I think I like her!”_

_Oh._

_Oh. “That’s good! I’m proud of you buddy!” Michael lied._

_“I tore it up and flushed it in the toilet.” Michael wished he did the same. “So that’s that, you were gonna say something?”_

_“Oh, it’s just something I saw on Discovery.” He lied again, shoving the letter in his back pocket, hoping that Jeremy wouldn't notice._

_“Well? Go on, M –“_

“—ichael!”

Michael snapped out of his trance, he tried to find the source of the sound only to find the dad of his source of pain running towards him; _And he’s wearing pants? No, it’s probably just long underwear_. Michael hid the letter and threw his joint into the fire. _Fuck, what a waste, I could have gotten a few more puffs out of that_. 

“Mr. Heere, what are you doing here?”

“We need to talk about Jeremy.”

Oh no, he did not want to have this conversation. “Sorry, Jeremy and I aren’t friends anymore –“ He muttered.

“Do you love him?”

“What.” _What. Wait, how did he found out? Did Jeremy know? Did Jeremy tell him? Is he gonna ban Jeremy from talking to him ever again? Not that it even made a difference at this point._

“He can be a little shit sometimes." Jeremy's dad snapped Michael out of his thoughts for the second time today, "We both know that. But that’s no excuse to sit around burning incense while he turns himself into a monster.” _Right, Incense, monster._

“Yeah, I’m gonna—“Michael stood up, making sure to keep the letter with him, to head inside only for Jeremy’s dad to block his way. Michael lowered his head.

“I don’t know what’s going on. He won’t talk to me. I need you to talk to him, please.” his voice sounded desperate, making guilt form in Michael's stomach for trying to escape the situation.

“But I’m not what he wants!” Michael choked out.  _He wants her. He wants to be popular. He wants a life without him._

Mr. Heere placed his hands on Michael’s shoulders “But you’re just what he needs.” Michael looked up at him and he can see where Jeremy got his smile. He continued, “This might be hard, I know."

_You know you miss him._

"But just suck it up and go."

_You miss all those loud times spent laughing in your basement and hearing his voice that's so rich and so perfect._

"Cause, when you love somebody."

_You miss all those quiet times looking at him and his peaceful face, like he was sleeping even though he's not._

"You take a stance for them."

 _You miss all those times when he smiled at you as if you were the entire world, like he found something special_.

"You fight for them."

_You miss him._

"You keep pushing through."

_And you love him._

"When you love somebody, you put your pants on for them.”

_You love him._

“You’re here because you need…” Michael hesitated, “pants?”

“Oh no, I need you to reach out to him. Jeremy won’t listen to me. And I can’t blame him. But somebody has to watch his back.”

Michael has made up his mind. He's going to give him one more chance.

“If I try harder to be his friend… you have to try harder to be his dad. There’s a Kohl’s down the street. I don’t care what kind—jeans, khaki, leather. You’re not leaving that store until you buy a pair.”

“You drive a hard bargain, son.”

Michael and Jeremy’s dad left the backyard, going their separate ways, dedicated to saving Jeremy.


	2. Drowning

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shit goes down.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> SORRY THIS TOOK SO LONG!  
> Edit: THIS IS NOW BETA'D. 4K words.  
> Anyway hope you enjoy this chapter!

_Sigh. This is never gonna get easier for me isn’t it?_ Christine looks at the stage from the left wing; people, mostly parents, have started to funnel into the auditorium _._

_And suddenly she feels like drowning._

“Breathe in, breathe out.”

Performance anxiety was anything but new to her.

She ignores the lingering feeling and walks to the mic in the center of the stage; bouncing each step with determination.

She breathes in and - “Welcome everyone,” dragging out the “n”, a poor attempt at getting everyone’s attention. “Thank you so much for coming to our production of “A Midsummer Nightmare About Zombies”“

She paused, thinking about what to say next.

“It’s been a rough week for all of us at Middleborough.” her mind recalled the resident fire that had occurred. _No deaths, 13 injured._ She continued,“That’s why this play is so important – to bring this school together! To show you something special!”

“I know that if Rich were here,” She swallowed, “instead of the intensive care unit at Beth Israel, he’d say: “Go out there and show everyone the relevant power of theatre!””

Christine knew she was lying of course, the Rich she knew would _never_ say anything like that. However she would be lying if she said that Rich has no passion for theatre at all. She recalls a freshman Richard Goranski standing in front of the spring season’s school musical sign-up sheet, nervously fiddling with the straps of his backpack. The school’s Department of Drama had decided on “Spring Awakening”; how that went through the PTA filters was beyond her mind. He must have caught her staring ‘cause he stumbled over his words deciding what to say.

_"What are you looking at?"_

_"Were you gonna sign up for the play?"_

_"What? No! That'th gay."_

_"Not, really no."_

_"Thorry."_

“Cough.” Christine snapped out of her thoughts and looked at where the sound came from. “Costumes.” Mr. Reyes stage whispered from the orchestra pit. “Oh...”

“And thanks to Hobby Lobby for the costumes.” She rushed in before bowing and leaving the stage. Once out of the audience’s view she was greeted by the rushing of teens.

Actors putting on costumes and fussing about their makeup.

_"Hey, my left eye isn’t done yet!”_

Stagehands running around relocating props.

_"Where the hell is the serum?”_

All of this coupled with Mr. Reyes strutting about in a poor mash up of both Jeremy and Rich’s costumes clapping and shouting, “Hurry along, the show’s starting soon!”

She was starting to get dizzy so she left the backstage and wandered the hall _,_ trying to take a break from everything. _I still have 20 minutes before the show starts._  It was nice to get a break from all the mad and frantic feelings every once in a while. She’s already in front of the auditorium room when she notices a familiar red hoodie covered with patches. “Michael?”

“Christine!” Michael took a step back and gave her a once over. “Woah, you look like hell. Shouldn’t you be doing…" He let his eyes wonder over to the backdoor, "I dunno, something back there?”

“It was getting a bit hectic, wanted to clear my head.” Christine shrugged and gave him a tired smile.

Christine had recently befriended Michael, you know, since he hangs around Jeremy a lot. There was one thing she noticed though, Jeremy had never payed any attention to the guy. It was like Michael was invisible to him. It wasn’t always like this though, she let her mind recall events from the past.

She always notices the two around her general vicinity, laughing at some joke the other had made. Their eyes crinkling as they did so. The taller one would continue to laugh after something but Michael would look at him with this look on his face, a look packed with a lot of feelings. Michael looked at Jeremy like he was the moon, so beautiful and majestic but so far away, so _unattainable._ Christine could never understand how it would've felt, so she stayed away from the two fearing she might break such a fragile moment between the two.

But a few months ago something changed. Michael still hung around Jeremy of course, doing the talking for both of them. But Jeremy never responded, eyes set on forward and a smile that didn’t quite suit him plastered on his face. Ignoring Michael so easily that it might as well have been second nature to him.

And then weeks passed and Michael wasn’t around him constantly. She still saw him though, waiting outside the auditorium when she was the first to leave, a table behind Jeremy during lunch, leaning besides Jeremy’s locker while the teen himself got his stuff from it, a sad feeling spilling from his body.

One day she mustered her courage and walked up to him.

_“Hey, you’re Michael right?”_

_Michael looked like a deer in headlights, clearly not used to people other than Jeremy noticing him._

_“You know who I am?” he asked cautiously._

_“I think a year is more than needed to know the names of my classmates, don’t you think?” She sarcastically replied._

_Michael laughs at that, huh it’s been a long time since I’ve heard that._

_“Yeah, right. So whaddya’ want stalker?” Michael said, no malice lacing his words._

_“What’s your phone number?”_

_Michael choked, “Why?”_

_“Because you’re interesting, silly.”_

Needless to say the two hit it off right away. Michael was still sad, 'cause of Jeremy but it wasn’t as bad as before. He and Christine text each other about anything. Well _, almost anything._ She thought about asking why Jeremy wasn’t talking to him, but decided that whatever it was it was probably something personal, sensitive and something he didn’t want to talk about.

 _"Ehem."_ Christine was snapped from her thoughts once again with a cough.

“Earth to Christine?”

“Huh?”

“I was just saying, good luck out there. I’m sure you’ll do great.”

"Thank you!” Christine flashed him a smile, it was not as big as her other ones but it was one of the more sincere ones she gave.

“Oh, and, uh, don’t drink anything that looks like Mountain Dew tonight.” Michael said as he entered the auditorium hall, waving his hand as he did so.

She smiled, feeling calmer than before and started her walk back to the back stage.

* * *

 

“Places, everyone! Break a leg!” Christine shouts as she enters the room. Things aren’t as hectic as before. The actors all clumped up in one corner, rehearsing their lines.

Jake walks in with his crutches, “Not cool.” She winces, _could’ve used a better word_.

She wanted to say sorry but she was interrupted by a –

“Christine!”

Christine spins around and sees Jeremy, enthusiasm leaking with every move. But for some reason it felt… _off,_ like everything he did nowadays.

“Jeremy! Where have you been?” She hasn’t seen him since the party at Jake’s house, she noticed, “It’s so bad. Mr. Reyes made himself your understudy.”

“Isn’t he understudying Rich?”

“He’s…” Christine tried to erase that image of their drama teacher in a costume that looked absolutely _horrendous_ and multiple sizes too small. “… both.”

“Oh god.” She knows the look on his face. She’s seen that face on anyone unfortunate to look at their teacher for more than 2 seconds. “Look, I’ve been thinking about what you said—“

“I can’t do this right now.” Christine cuts him off immediately, she had been focusing on the play the ever since the party. Hopefully finding out who she is or maybe just delaying thinking about it.

“No no, but I finally understand! You can’t be with anyone because you don’t know who you are yet. Right?”

“Yeah, but—“

“Well I get that! And that’s awesome, actually, because I felt that way too!”

_Wait, Jeremy knows how it feels?_

“I mean, I didn’t realize that’s what I felt, I thought it was just being cool. But it was more than that. It was about being confident and understanding who I am…”

_He knows how I feel?_

“And I couldn’t have figure that on my own!”

“You’re saying,” She couldn’t believe what was happening. She, Christine, the girl who doesn’t know who she is, helped somebody find out who they were?

“I helped you do that?”

“Not you,”

 _Oh_.

“This.”

Jeremy held out his clenched fist and opened it. A pill that resembling a winter-green tic-tac was in it. Christine’s previous look of disbelief was now replaced with confusion.

Jeremy seemed to have noticed this, as he started to explain what "this" was. “It’s from Japan—It’s a computer—and it tells you what to do! You’d never have to struggle to figure out what to say, or overanalyze some little gesture, ever again. You’d just know. Like play rehearsal. Only it never has to end.”

“Jeremy, that sounds…” Christine couldn’t believe what she was hearing, “ _horrible_.” She suddenly felt like drowning again.

“Yeah! … What?” Jeremy’s face fell. A seed of doubt pitted itself in his brain.

She continued, “Maybe I have some stuff to figure out. But I don’t need a pill to do it for me.”

“It’s not like that! It’ll help you to be better—“

She cut him off, “What’s wrong with me now?” she said defeatedly. She thought Jeremy understood her. _Apparently not._

“Miss Canigula! Jenna Rolan has whipped up a fresh new beaker of Puck’s Pansy Serum.” Mr. Reyes ran in shouting, relieving the two of any awkward tension that had formed. He eyed them both, heads hung low before giving said beaker to the shorter of the two.

“Oh…” He finally recognized Jeremy who was looking at him but his eyes looking everywhere except for Mr. Reyes and the girl before him. “Mr. Heere.”

Mr. Reyes started taking the Puck part of his costume off, “I suppose you’ll be wanting your costume back.”

“I have to go Jeremy.” Christine left without warning. She could hear Jeremy calling after her but she chose to ignore it.

Christine was disappointed. Disappointed with Jeremy. Disappointed with her life. Disappointed with herself. She let a hold of breathe she didn’t know she was holding go.

She focuses on the concoction between her hands as an act to distract her from her thoughts. She thought to test taste the yellow-green liquid but thought better of it. She remembered Michael’s warning.

“ _Don’t drink anything that looks like Mountain Dew tonight.”_

She set the beaker down on a table near the props and headed towards the dressing room to touch up on her makeup. _She was crying, she realized._

* * *

Meanwhile, Jeremy was in panic. “Shit, shit! What did I do?”

Jeremy looked at the empty space the Squip had previously been.

 _"It’s okay Jeremy. I anticipated her resistance.”_ Jeremy whipped around to see the Squip that he once knew had changed.

He was more cyber.

More menacing.

More _dangerous_.

“Then why did you let me say all that stuff!?” Jeremy held his head between his hands.

_“So you’d see for yourself what’s necessary. Not everyone is as open to change as you were. Offering them all a choice would simply delay the result we desire.”_

Jeremy recalled what happened earlier with Christine, _“Maybe I have some stuff to figure out. But I don’t need a pill to do it for me.”_

The seed had started to grow.

“No, she’s right. I don’t think I can do this.” Jeremy’s hands started shaking, gripping tighter on the box. “We should put these back in Rich’s locker, and—“.

He placed one hand on the lid and lifted.

“What happened to the rest of the Squips?” His head slowly facing the computer behind him, not daring to blink out of fear that any rash and vulnerable movements would make the Squip attack.

But the Squip offered a sinister smile instead. “ _I anticipated your resistance too, Jeremy. So I took the decision out of your hands.”_

And by then the seed of doubt had finally blossomed.

Jeremy fucked up, _bad_.

* * *

Michael was sitting in the front row seat  _thanks to a certain girl who loves play rehearsal_. She gave him tickets saying, "Despite how he acts, I'm sure he'd love it to see you there!"

However, he couldn’t shake the feeling like something was gonna go wrong at any second. He tried to distract himself by watching the damn play, he was actually impressed with the acting. But something felt _off._ Worry started bubbling behind throat. He felt like drowning.

He reviewed his plan:

1\. Make Jeremy notice you. _He was already failing at that_.

2\. Use force if needed. _He didn’t like this part but he was bigger, he can do it. But then again, Jeremy with a Squip made him inhumanely strong._

3\. Somehow make him drink the Mountain Dew Red he brought with him. _He had brought a 2 liter bottle just in case something went wrong but how he was gonna do it he didn’t know._

It was fool-proof! … Ok, maybe not. But he still had a Plan B. Just sneak the drink into the post-production party the drama department always did. Last year after the summer-production of “Book of Mormon” they drank so much that even actual Mormons themselves would disapprove.

The bubble in his throat had worsened.

_Ok breathe, Michael Mell. Inhale 7, Exhale 14._

“Michael!”

Michael’s head snapped up, trying to find the source of the familiar voice. He arched his neck and he could barely see Jeremy, clutching his phone in the left wing.

“Call: Michael! AAH” Jeremy had toppled to the ground.

Michael immediately stood up, earning some complaints from the people in the back. He ran to the other side of the stage and started climbing, he looked up to see Jeremy on his toes, as if somebody had grabbed him by the shirt. Once he was on the stage Jeremy had flew across the stage and landed by his feet.

He ignores the sudden rise of bubbling once more. He gathers up his courage, bracing himself to whatever shit show would happen next.

“Michael makes an entrance!”

Jeremy looks up at the figure on top of him, eyes that once was filled with pain had turned into relief. “Michael!”

The look that Jeremy gave him eased that feeling.

“I was in the audience, thinking, “This is really good for a school play.” Then I’m like, “This is _way_ too good for a school play!” They’ve all been Squipped right?”

“You came to see me in the play?”

Michael cocked his eyebrow, “Even brought my own refreshments.”

Michael raised his arm, Mountain Dew in hand. It was illuminated by the stage lights, giving it a heavenly glow. The red neon liquid inside slushed. It was as if someone had found the Holy Grail.

Jeremy’s eyes widened and his jaw hit the floor, “Is that—“

“Mountain Dew Red!” Michael cut him off. “I told you I did my research.”

“That’s amazing!” Jeremy got up and reached for the bottle, “Give it to me!”

The hoodie-clad teen hugged it, “Okay, Wait, No.”

He has to say it. He needs to hear it. He needs it.

“But I need it!” Jeremy whined.

“And I need an apology.” Michael fired back, “I think that’s in order, “

Jeremy’s eyes fell.

Michael needs to say it, Jeremy needs to hear it, “I mean, you treat me like I don’t exist for months, blow me off when I try to help you—“

“Fine! I’m—“Jeremy flinched. “Saaaa-“

“Srrrr-“

“Seriously?” Michael got annoyed, “Don’t you have something to say to me?”

“Yes!” Jeremy pleaded, “C’mon man, this is important!”

_What did he want him to say? Sorry? No, there was something more he wanted to hear._

Whatever it is, Jeremy needs to say it, “Well this is important to me!” Michael needs to hear it.

“It’s a word!”  Jeremy reasoned.

“It’s a gesture! Gestures matter!”

Jeremy flinched. His pose getting aggressive and arms raised. He started attacking Michael.

“This is so you!”

Michael ducked.

“You love to feel superior,”

Jeremy attacked.

 “Just because you listen to music on vinyl,”

Michael moved backward.

“And eat eel in your sushi,”

Jeremy locked eyes with him, “And don’t care about being popular!”

“Of course I care!” Michael ran to the left of the stage, “I just know it’s never gonna happen!”

Michael knew of course _._ He was scared. This is something that even Jeremy didn’t know and now he’s saying this in front of a live theatre, who probably thinks that this is all a part of the play.

Jeremy slowly started stepping towards him, “So you resent me because I wouldn’t give up like you did.”

 _Is that what Jeremy thought he thought of him?_ “I don’t resent you!” Michael shouted, closing his eyes and arching his back forward, “I’m jealous you try!”

_“Well I’m jealous you don’t!”_

Michael looked up into Jeremy’s eyes, who was running at him. Both of them screamed as Jeremy got closer. Jeremy karate chopped Michael on his arms, it didn’t hurt, given that Jeremy was a beanpole, but it was shocking. Once he saw the chance Michael distanced himself from him

“Then why are you hitting me?” Michael screamed, adrenaline rushing through his body from doing what was probably the most exercise he had done in years.

“I’m not trying to!” Jeremy was forcing himself to stay still.

Michael wanted to reach over, tell him that it’s all gonna be okay, but he knew if he did that he would probably get hurt, “Don’t try harder!”

“It’s – Not – Me – It’s – My – SQUIP!” Jeremy choked out, struggling to break free with every word.

Jeremy looked at Michael, “It’s taking over my body!” Jeremy flinched, “I need your help! Please!”

_Fuck, the things he would do for this boy._

Michael ran towards Jeremy and pinned him down quickly, holding his wrists against the floor.

He whipped his head up and saw Jake enter with his crutches from the right. “ _Please” must have been his cue._

“Jake!” He had never talked to Jake before; it was actually a bit scary, and if possible he would never talk to him at all. But the situation at hand was scarier, so it was Jake or nothing, “This is gonna sound weird, but if I hold down Jeremy, can you make him drink this Mountain Dew Red?” Michael used his lips to point at the bottle that was abandoned in the middle of the stage, like an egg forgotten on Easter.

“Actually that doesn’t sound weird at all.” Jake flashed Michael a smile, waddling towards the bottle. _Damn this kid’s nice._ His smile disappeared as quickly as it came though; before he could pick up the bottle he flinched and hunched over.

Michael and Jeremy started screaming as Jake started to raise his arms, crutches still in hand, going into what Michael could only call a T-Pose.

“I was already pretty boss before,” Jake glared at the two, picking up the bottle and opening the cap.

Without warning he poured almost everything onto the floor, dropping and kicking the bottle backwards, “Now I’m totally boss and then some more!”

“I’m living the upgrade!” Jake stretched every muscle he could in his body, something he wasn’t able to do ever since the fire.

“Plus, check this out.” He throws his crutches onto the floor, still standing. He looked over the two, waiting for a response.

Jeremy gave in, “It healed your legs?” He was no longer flailing, shocked at what had transpired.

“No. But I can’t feel the pain. It’s awesome.” Jake said, as if it was something to brag about. He flashed another smile but it wasn’t the kind or mischievous one he would flash, no it was filled with cockiness.  “Livin’ the upgrade! God I love me!”

Michael left Jeremy for the bottle, fearing anything else that might have happened to it. _This is the only way to save Jeremy, to save them._

Brooke and Chloe enter from the right of the stage, hunched over like dangling puppets. Their heads snapped up, “There you are Jeremy.” Staring at him with empty eyes and mouths wide. Jeremy was on his feet by now, Jake behind him blocking his route to Michael, who was in turn behind Jake, bottle close to his chest.

“Lalalalala, lalalalala, lalalalala la la la.” Their necks rolling before hanging to the side.

“I just want you to know, I’m not mad you broke my heart and slept with my best friend.” Brooke put her hands to her chest.

“And I’m not mad you dated my best friend and wouldn’t sleep with me.” Chloe mimicked Brooke, like mimes.

“He didn’t sleep with you?”

“No?”

 “He didn’t sleep with me!”

“ _No_!”

“Oh my god, why was I so jealous of you? You were jealous of me? That’s the nicest thing you’ve ever said to me! Sisters forever! Jinx!”

“Euch.” This reminded Michael of a poor parody of his and his best friend’s “reconciliation”.

 Jeremy took the opportunity to whisper to Michael, “Michael… The bottle. There’s  a few drops left.”

He was right, there was still enough for at least one person. But there was a problem, “How am I supposed to get past them?”

Jeremy smiled, “Apocalypse of the Damned. Level Nine—” Michael’s face lit up, he joined him, knowing the next words by heart.

“The Cafetorium!”

“Got it.” He nodded.

“Find the bad guy push him aside,”

_His player one is back._

“Then move on forward with you friend at your side.”

_He’s right beside him._

“It’s a two player game when they make an attack,”

Jake tries to drag Jeremy back.

“You know you gotta brother gonna have your back.”

Michael shoves Jake.

“Then you stay on track, and –AH!” “remain on course,”

Brooke lunged out at them.

“If they give you smack you –GAH!” “use your force!”

They push Chloe back.

“If you leave your brother behind it’s lame”

Michael ran to get the bottle.

“’Cuz it’s an effed up world but it’s a two-player game hey!”

“Got it!” Michael says, bottle up in the air. Unbeknownst to him, Jenna creeps from behind, a lifeless smile plastered on her face. “I know what you’re doing Michael.” She whispers into his ear.

She grabs him by his shoulders, “I know what everyone’s doing!” As if on cue all of the “ _squip zombies_ ” snap towards Michael, their dull stares burning holes into him, “All the time!”

_“I just feel so connected to you guys right now!”_

They started to swarm him. “Jeremy!” Michael knew of course. He was scared. “Catch!”

And that was the last thing he saw before being replaced by smiles from every directions. He felt something being forced into his mouth.

He felt like drowning.

“—chael! N—“ _Was that Jeremy?_

_Right._

_Jeremy._

He thought of Jeremy, the way his eyes crinkle when he laughs. The way he sings during rehearsal. The look on his face when he thinks no one can see him. The way he hums when getting stuff from his locker.

He couldn’t take those feelings anymore.

Drowning. Regret. Distant. Unrequited. Melancholy. _Love._

“I’m sorry Jeremy.”

He swallowed.

_“Up, up, down, down, left, right, A.”_

* * *

 " _You don't want to drink that Jeremy_!" The Squip interrupted.

"Why not!" Jeremy screamed, clutching on to the bottle with his life depending on it. A smile curled upon the face of his Squip, " _Because then you'll never be with_ —“

 “Christine?” He whipped around and found the person behind the reason why he’d done all this.

She was looking at the audience, her face was flushed, “Did you see me out there?" She looked at Jeremy. He could see the way her eyes sparkled and her smile was genuine.

"The audience loved me!”

_Looks like she found out who she is._

“I… That’s great! I mean of course they did.”

“Jeremy?” Christine exchanged her excitement for worry. Her eyes flashed over to the seat Michael had abandoned, she picked that seat for him since it would be the one closest to Jeremy in his solo, “Are you ok? Where’s Mi—“

“— _him_.”

The Squip snaps towards the left of the stage. A crowd that had formed dispersed, like zombies after eating a captured human, and who was left was—

"Michael!?"

Suddenly, all eyes were on the teen. The silence was deafening.

Michael opened his eyes, the brown warmness was no longer there, replaced by a cold blue gaze.

“You are the person I want to be with every day;”

He steps forward, looking down.

“And this is something that I’ve been afraid to say.” He looks up at Jeremy, love present on his face but not in his eyes.

“That is not Michael.” Besides the fact that Michael was no longer in control, Jeremy was still in disbelief. A Squip’s purpose is to make a person’s biggest dream come true. If that was true then… _Was Michael in love with him?_

_“I assure you it is. Only his fears and insecurities have been removed.”_

_Fears and insecurities? Was he afraid to tell Jeremy? Is that why he’d never heard of any mention of this before?_

“You’re the guy I am so kinda into.” Michael continues, stepping towards Jeremy.

_I want Michael back._

The Squip Zombies have compressed at one end of the stage, harmonizing.

_I want the Michael who listens to music on vinyl._

“The guy I am totally into.” He takes Jeremy’s hands in his and looks deep into his eyes.

_I want the Michael who eats eel with his sushi._

“These feelings for you.”

_I want the Michael who drinks his slushie, mixed with a thousand flavors._

He leaned in closer, arching his neck so his face would be closer to Jeremy’s.

_I want the Michael who looks at me as I am._

“Jeremy, I love you.” He closed his eyes.

_I want my Player one back._

_“That’s your cue.”_ The Squip prompted.

“He’ll do whatever I want? He’ll forgive me?”

“ _That’s not what I promised but this is what you wanted.”_

“Great.” He gives the bottle to Michael. “Drink this.”

“Wait—“ The Squip does a double take, “Think about what you’re saying, Jeremy—“ He tried to reason but to no avail.

“How do you feel?” _God, he hoped this worked._

Suddenly, Michael’s head snaps down, like a computer powering off.

“Uh…” _This had to be something right? “_ Michael?”

Michael’s head snaps back up, blue beaming out from his eyes. He opens his mouth – and emits a decibel-shattering sonic scream. Jeremy’s head hurts and suddenly he’s screaming as well, together with everyone who was affected.

The last thing he sees is Michael on the floor.

_Mich—_

The last thing he hears is his name being called out.

He collapses.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If there are any mistakes please tell me haha!  
> But srsly? My mind just gave up writing when i started. I was like "WORK DAMNIT"  
> And like they're all on the stage, fighting then Christine is also on stage, performing, then she notices Jeremy  
> asdfghjkl It's so messy. Enjoy this.  
> next chapter's in like a week?  
> My tumblr's @trinketprince  
> Comments make my day!

**Author's Note:**

> OH MY GOD, OH MY GOD, OH MY GOD, OK SO.  
> THANKS FOR READING THIS!!!  
> This is my first fic so please comment if you found some mistakes or just want to comment in general!  
> My tumblr's @trinketprince


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